A Tale of Two Cities
By
Charles Dickens
Character Analysis
Jerry Cruncher

A porter for Tellson's by day and a grave robber by night, he provides some of the little comedy in A Tale of Two Cities. His euphemisms create a topsy-turvy world in which grave robbing becomes respectable and prayer is degraded to "flopping."In digging up buried bodies, he parodies the theme of resurrection. Similarly, Jerry's scenes of wife abuse at home provide a darkly comedic contrast to the idyllic domestic scenes in Lucie's Soho home. He serves as a lever in the plot when his knowledge of Roger Cly's fake burial enables Carton to blackmail John Barsad effectively. In the end, Cruncher redeems himself when he renounces grave robbing and accepts his wife's piety.